The Love of You:: And Other Stories
by balfonheim
Summary: This is a compilation of one-shots for my favorite couple, Squffie. Disclaimer for everything: I own nothing. Nothing! NOTHING!
1. The Love of You

I have no Life but this/ To lead it here  
  
Nor any Death - but lest/ Dispelled from there  
  
Nor tie to Earths to come/ Nor Action new  
  
Except through this extent/ The love of you  
  
She sighed softly into the gentle breeze that caressed her face. Tears formed behind her eyes, but she did not cry. The mysterious twilight settled comfortably about her shoulders, as if a cloak warding off the unpleasant things. Wind whistled in the cracks of the bastion, a quiet, mourning song for the young woman overlooking the mountains. She ran a hand through her short, tangled, raven hair in unease.  
  
Her tired eyes roved the empty streets below her. Cracked stones passageways connected doorways together. Bones were scattered here and there, remnants of the horrible event that occurred so many years ago. There were tatters of clothing, stuck to splinters of wood or blowing about on the streets. Jewelry and weapons, all things made of metal and stone, just lay there, as if dropped in haste. But she knew that they had been on bodies, and that the people who had once owned them had disintegrated into the earth. Gone... gone... the wind whispered.  
  
Above her, stars blinked forlornly in her direction. The proud, hard lines of the bastion mocked her now, and she was too out of sorts to fight back. She didn't have the heart to, not after all that had happened. The castle that had once been her home, the one place she had wanted to get back to no matter what, was now the empty shell that she now saw. Another tribute to her loss...  
  
'I have nothing here,' she thought. 'Nothing to hold on to, nothing to look for, nothing.' Her heart was cracked into a million tiny fragments that were gone to some other place, away from the sorrow, the grief. She couldn't blame them. Now, she was alone and void of any feeling. And that was exactly the way she liked it.  
  
Darkness descended upon the hollow fortification, enshrouding everything inside. She smiled dolefully, remembering other times when she had sat out at nightfall. Only she was never alone back then. There had been another person with her, always with her, her protection and support. He had been tall, she remembered. He was always wearing black, leather, short-sleeve jacket with red wings embroidered on the back and a pair of leather pants with about four-too-many belts. She remembered the way he swung his large, threatening sword, the way it cut through anything trying to get to her. He had had long, russet hair that fell just past his shoulders. He had clear, icy blue eyes that seemed so cold, and yet had cared so much. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up. The memory of him was just too much, too much for her to handle. Sobs racked from her slender figure as she though of him.  
  
In the end, the Darkness had gotten him too, as it had taken everything away from Yuffie. Her friends, her family, and the love of her life were all gone. So, though they had all planned to come back to Hollow Bastion together, start their home back up again, she was the only one left. Now the world that they had all longed for held no promise, and was nothing but a memoir of a life long-gone. She stood and stretched her tiny frame, needing to leave the solitary ledge where she sat. She just couldn't be there with the memories any longer.  
  
She ambled solemnly towards the room she had marked out as her own. It was small, square, and bare of any furniture. She liked it better this way. Though she could have had her pick of any room in the entire world, she chose one that befitted her station. It was perfect for the little bit of nothing that she was. With one petite, gloved hand, she turned the rusty gold knob of the mahogany door and entered. The room was dimly lit, and she slumped against a wall. Her legs extended all the way to the other end of the room; her feet touched the cold, heartless stone of the bastion. Was this really to be her new home?  
  
Yuffie fell into a very troubled sleep, tossing and turning on the uneven floor. It was more of a memory, really, a memory from the hurtful past that she would rather not revisit. But she could not control what she dreamt.  
  
["Why can't we go back home now, Squall?" She asked, her voice young and high-pitched to her ears, not how she wanted it to sound. They sat atop the Gizmo Shop, looking down on the bustling Second District. The bright lanterns shone the District in cheery, happy light, though there would be nothing cheery about it. Yuffie stood by the pair on the Bell Tower, watching as the exchange took place. Little did they know the events that would follow.  
  
"The name is Leon, Yuffie. And we can't go back because the worlds are fragile places. We have to be absolutely sure that Sora sealed all of the Keyholes. We still haven't heard from him, so we don't know. And we'd rather not risk getting torn apart by the Heartless. We'll be back soon, though," he said wistfully, if that was possible. The girl next to him jumped in surprise at the tone of his voice. He never spoke in anything but a monotone, though certainly to the girl (and to Yuffie) his voice was beautiful and welcome.  
  
"How do you know?" She whispered quietly. The concept of 'home' eluded the girl. It had been taken away from her at a young age. So, she relied upon the others to feed her memories of the place. Yuffie tried to warn the two. She ran over to them and tried to shake Squall's shoulder, but her hand passed right through him. She wanted to scream, to grab the people's attention any way that she could, but her voice merely came out as a croak that floated away on the gust of wind passing by.  
  
Gay cries came from the crowd below, deceptively belying the terror that would come. Squall sighed and looked at the girl. "I just know, Yuffie. It's one of those things that you have to believe, deep in your heart. I know we'll return there eventually."  
  
The girl smiled, but it only reached her lips. Her large, indigo eyes were filled with clouds, a testimony to the storm inside of her head. "I think I know the feeling that you're talking about. Except, I've learned to never trust it. Nothing ever turns out the way you want it to, in your heart," she added to the conversation. Yuffie had promised herself that she would remember this moment for the rest of her life, and she found that even in her dreams, it could still bring heartbreak.  
  
"What is in your heart?" Squall asked softly. She quivered where she sat, and gazed into his sapphire eyes. She seemed to be drowning the the azure orbs, and Yuffie couldn't help but get dragged in to the drama. Finally, the girl came out of her reverie and then dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap.  
  
"You," she murmured. Squall put his hand underneath her chin and he caught her eyes to his own. Yuffie's breath lodged in her throat as she observed the scene in front of her. Squall brought his lips down to hers and left the slightest pressure there. The girl bit her lip after he moved away and threw her arms around his neck. What followed was a few minutes worth of solid lip-lock that Yuffie found quite endearing.  
  
Screams emanated from the streets below. The girl extricated herself from Squall and looked down upon the people. There were thousands of Heartless streaming into the Second District. Squall grabbed his Gunblade and jumped down followed by a grim girl. Yuffie jumped down after them, but only as an observer. She doubted that she could hurt any Heartless in her present, ghost-like state.  
  
Cloud and Aerith found the girl and Squall and Aerith called out loudly, "THUNDAGA!" Many of the Heartless burst into tiny piles of munny and HP balls, but many still remained. The girl stayed with the spell-casting Aerith, protecting her with the shurikens. Squall and Cloud went, back-to-back, into the crowds of Heartless to save as many people as was possible. When Aerith grew tired, the girl would give her an ether and she would continue to cast the devastating spells. Every once in a while, she would cast curaga for either Cloud or Squall.  
  
When finally the Heartless were gone, the girl, Cloud, Aerith, and Squall gathered together. Yuffie came in too, able to pass right through her friends. But their conference was drawn short by the appearance of another Heartless. It was gigantic and completely black. It had five heads and a large, menacing sword that could swipe any of them in half before they could even touch it.  
  
"Yuffie! Get Cid and call Sora!" Squall instructed her before running at the thing with Cloud. The girl ran towards the First District. But Yuffie decided to stay here instead, watching what happened herself. Squall and Cloud used all of their special abilities that they could before Aerith cast a spell to restore their MP. Then they started the process all over again. The girl came running after several minutes in the other Districts.  
  
"Cid's dead, and the contact devices are shot!" She called with tears in her eyes. Yuffie remembered that, the horror she had felt when she saw Cid's lifeless body strewn on the pavement. Wiping the tears hastily away from her eyes, Yuffie turned her attention back to the battle. Squall had focused more on the girl than he should have and the sword of the enemy swept towards him in a giant arc designed to kill him. But Cloud saw it coming and dove in the way. Blood spilled onto the cobblestone squares of the street.  
  
"CLOUD!" Aerith screamed, running over to his unresponsive body and cradling his head in her hands. Squall stood there, stunned. The blade came back down, this time catching the grief-stricken Aerith. The girl called upon all her strength and cast Aeroga on Squall before falling to the ground in exhaustion, still conscious. Squall clicked back to life and charged at the monster. It was then that Yuffie decided that she couldn't just watch anymore. She grabbed the girl's shurikens from a pouch on her belt and threw them at the monster. Surprisingly, it faltered. She launched more at its bulbous heads and tried to keep its attention away from the attacking Squall.  
  
Unfortunately, diversions can only last so long, and the shurikens were gone. Yuffie sighed in defeat. She knew what would befall before her very eyes. Tears poured out of her indigo orbs and into her hands. She couldn't help but cry, as she felt all the loneliness that would come, all the pain and sorrow. Closing her eyes, she wanted to disappear. She prayed that her dreams would leave her, that she would be awake and unable to watch the dreadful memories replay in her head.  
  
The noise of a gummi ship landing brought her out of the trance she was in and she focused on Sora's ship. Though she didn't remember Squall still being alive at this point, she left it to a lapse in her memory. Sora came from the door of the gummi with Donald and Goofy on either side, flanking him. It was only a matter of time until the monster disappeared into the darkness of the night. Only, Squall was still alive. He rejoined the girl and together they gathered Cloud and Aerith's broken bodies to bury them. Yuffie didn't know what to say, what to do. This wasn't right, Squall was supposed to be dead, not alive, not...  
  
He looked over at the spot where Yuffie stood and smiled, as if he could see her. She was thrown out of the dream and back into wakeful reality.]  
  
The light from a brilliant dawn flooded in through the tiny window in the wall. Yuffie yawned and stood, stretching her sore muscles. It was almost as if she had really been there. Her arms ached from throwing the shurikens, at least. A faint breeze whispered through the walls. "I'm here, Yuffie. You'll never be alone again," it said. She recognized the voice and smiled into it. The warm sun kissed her with its featherlike radiance and she lost the last tear. No more. She wouldn't cry any more.  
  
Yuffie could hear heavy boots clanking down the stone hallway of the bastion and she knew that she wasn't alone. Not anymore.  
  
~Fine~ 


	2. Broken Hearts

A/N: This is just a story to add to my collection of one-shots. Thank you to BlueEyedDemon10 who encouraged me to make this into a compilation of one- shots.  
  
Summary: Just pretend that there are phones in the KH universe. This is someone leaving a message for someone. You'll figure it out eventually. The *Beep* at the end is supposed to be the answering machine clicking turning off.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
~~~~~*  
  
Hello? ... It's me again. I just wanted to tell you that I love you.  
  
Are you there? Is the connection good? I can hear you, but I don't know if you hear me. Does it really matter all that much? I can only chuckle to myself and imagine your face as you listen. And listen well, my love.  
  
Maybe you will not believe me; I know I would not, had it been you saying this. But maybe that's the difference between you and me. I am just a little more open than you ever were, a little more predictable. Besides, this isn't anything new to you. You knew I loved you, even from the beginning.  
  
No, don't give me that line. Don't say that you were blind to me, that you couldn't see through the haze. I know that you were every bit as observant as you are now. But if you insist that you never knew, well then, can you comprehend my meaning now? Do you truly understand what I'm saying to you? Are you listening? Because I mean every word I'm saying. I love you.  
  
Look, it's begun to rain outside. Is it raining where you are? Are the clouds breaking open in their pounding tears to cleanse your broken heart? I know that is what they are doing to me. But I doubt that they would have the same effects on you, the stone. The rock. The icy statue of a man. I doubt anything could cleanse what I would refer to as your black heart. But that is solely a matter of opinion. I shouldn't be imposing my thoughts on you.  
  
Did you hear the thunder? Did you see the lightning burst forth from the angry sky in jagged stripes across the blackness of the night? Does it give you a sense of wonder, of awe? Can you remember the first time, that night when we were together during the peak of a storm?  
  
It was dark, as it always was. In those days, much like the days now, the darkness was everywhere, confusing, consuming. I was scared, and you were my support; I could be with you for strength and comfort. We wandered the lantern-lit cobblestone streets in search of a quarry. I can remember that you were always chomping at the bit to kill in those days, to get rid of the guilt on your heart. And in some ways, that's not so different now, is it? Except now you have to kill people's hearts instead of Heartless's bodies.  
  
The fury of the storm broke out then, in droves of blackness and pain, coming at us. I was young and impressionable, but I never knew how much that night could change my life. There had been so many of them to my childish eyes, but now I see that it wasn't too many, and anyone could have done the job just as easily as you had. Could have killed them off like you had. And would I have been enamored with them instead? Maybe they wouldn't have broken my heart.  
  
I used to think that you could save me from anything, defeat the evil that came after us, and act as our leader. And you did. You were our leader, and you guided us through tough times. But your finesse in dealing with leadership didn't carry over with matters of the heart. In the end, you threw the pieces of my shattered soul right back at me. In that way, they tried to reconstruct themselves in my body, but failed horribly. You left me with a scarred and disfigured heart, love. And yet I still love you.  
  
I don't think anyone can explain why I still hold on to you. Maybe it's the ideals that I had when I was around you, they were just too appealing to me to forego. Or it could possibly be that you represent all that I thought was good in the universe. Good things in the universe? You? That makes me laugh. How can you be an example of a good thing, when you are so empty and hateful? Perhaps my mind was clouded over in those times; they do say that love can make you blinded to the other's faults. I must have been very blind to overlook yours. Then why do I still care?  
  
I remember back then who you were to my eyes. You used to be calm. Your strength was something others admired and I loved about you. You were even generous to those around you, those who deserved it. You were never generous to me. Though, you should have known. You should have known that you'd wear out your welcome with me. How quiet is it, all alone? Is it as peaceful as you always said it would be, without me? Or is it torment in the fires? I'd like to think that you are being tortured by loneliness right now, because that's how I am feeling.  
  
Maybe she was right when she said that you'd break my heart. I should have listened to her before she left to start her life with him. She used to give great advice, Aerith. And then she left, and I no longer had her counsel. Perhaps that was when I fell for you completely, when I had no one who knew better to warn me of its effects. But as I said before, love can blind. I almost still feel the blindness, a cataract over my eyes.  
  
Choosing to love you has to be one of the biggest mistakes of my short life. You would never offer the stability I needed. You would never offer the love I needed. Maybe I knew this all along, and yet never acted on it. In the end, after trying so hard to impress, to give to you without ever even hoping for a return, it doesn't even matter all that much. I got so far underneath your "light" that I thought it was the best thing for me, the thing that would allow me to grow and flourish, become something in your eyes. But I made a serious mistake. I know that now. And yet, I still choose to love you.  
  
When did I finally realize that all of my efforts were not worth it? When did I see the world around me clearly? I believe it was the night not long ago, when the door was sealed, bringing the death and darkness to a sudden halt. Yes, that was it. When the darkness was locked away forever in Kingdom Hearts and Sora had closed the keyholes; that was when I saw clearly. And, believe me, the sudden clarity of my sight confused me and scared me more than anything.  
  
The veil of darkness had finally disintegrated into the breezy air of the town. We were free of the oppressing forces of evil, and it felt wonderful. Only, something wasn't right. It might have felt wonderful, but there was something wrong, also, something that had been obscured by the Darkness. And that something was you, love. I shouldn't have loved you at all, and yet I did. When the light finally penetrated through to us, I finally realized my error. I'm sorry, but you were it.  
  
I am sick of the tension between us. I'm sick of the hunger that I always felt, being near to you, and yet never being able to kiss your soft lips. I'm sick of you acting like I owe you something for your "great" deeds, defending us from the Heartless. Because, even if you did a wonderful job with those deeds, your heart is still a black hole. And a black hole only sucks in; it can't give me love. Are you starting to understand a little now?  
  
The rain just stopped now. It was only a passing storm, fierce and proud while here, but going out quickly. I believe they call those storms squalls, love. Ironic, isn't it? Ironic that squalls are passing storms, and not permanent. They can be healed. They can be forgotten. Maybe they can even be crushed and destroyed. Do you know how much hope those thoughts give me? It almost helps to release me from your grasp, the grasp that I've been fighting.  
  
Now I feel some of the hatred towards you lift. Or perhaps it was never hatred, really, but the vehemence of my love towards you. They say that too much of a strong emotion is never good, and I can second that opinion. Too much love for you was never healthy for me. And yet, I still love you. The longing for you still courses through my veins, going through every limb of my body. I still want to touch you, to kiss you, to live out the fantasies of a girl. But I know that that's not going to happen. You'll never love me. I have to accept that.  
  
That was much longer than I would have liked. I just... wanted to tell you that no matter how far we've come together, no matter how much I hate that you can control my broken, disfigured heart, I still love you. I wish you loved me too, to ease the pain of things. But wishful thinking can't bring you a thing, can it? I think we both know; we've both tried enough.  
  
Maybe a broken heart can be mended. Do you think so? Do you think that something so fragile can just be glued back together again like a child's art project? It can't be that easy. And yet, some things are just that simple. Tell me now; do you love me? Because I love you.  
  
Please, please, call me back. My number is 44-*Beep* 


	3. Patching Holes

A/N: If any of you read a story that I temporarily put up here ("Blind Date"), burn all memory of it. I was completely disgusted with my muse, and the story wasn't even my style. So, if you were thinking "what is up with her?", you'll know that I was on a sugar high and that I was completely bored out of my mind. When I'm bored, I tend to write crap. Unless, of course, you liked the story. If you did, sorry I took it down and deleted it! It's kind of, er, gone forever... woops ^_^;;  
  
Oh, and, Deplora, if you're out there reading this, I just want to say one thing: How could you claim "The Reason"??? That song is PERFECT for a Squffie! Oh well. If anybody did that song, I'd want it to be you... *sigh*.... I just wish that I could have! It's such a perfect song! ANYway... please get to working on that fic once you're done with the one you're working on (hint, hint:: finish it soon! I can't wait for the ending!).  
  
Since everyone seemed to like the answering machine, I'm going to do a sequel to it. Except, they'll actually get to talk to one another!! YAY!  
  
Summary: continuation of "Broken Hearts". But it's all dialogue, no actions or anything like that.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Patching Holes   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Key:  
  
*"words"* - Yuffie is talking  
  
"words" - Squall is talking  
  
^words^ noises someone makes (like a sigh)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Yuffie? Yuffie, are you there? I got your message. I was gone all day yesterday; that's why I didn't pick up. I would have, and you know it. I can't leave what you said between us like an angry snake, Yuf. Come on, are you there? Talk to me, please? Yuf? All right, I guess-"  
  
*"Wait! Wait, Squall, don't hang up! I'm here! I just got in the door, and I... umm... ^cough^... wanted to talk to you too. I want to apologize for some of the things I said. They were really mean and black-hearted of me. I-I'm sorry, Squall. It's just that, well... I was angry with you and-"*  
  
"Yuffie, let's start from the beginning, okay? That way, we can get some things straightened out. Right?"  
  
*"Yeah."*  
  
"First of all, I DO NOT hate you, Yuffie! I could never hate you! That's what all those years as fighting partners has done to me. I just... set up a protective barrier around myself so that no one could reach me. But I'll tell you about that later."  
  
*"I'm listening."*  
  
"I'm sorry for being unduly... nasty towards you. It just kind of happened. I didn't mean for you to be hurt. As you probably noticed, I'm not the most social guy in the universe. I'm hostile towards everyone and prefer settling things with the sword then with words. But that does not make me heartless! Gods know I try, but I can't change who I am. Do you understand that?"  
  
*"Y-y-yes... ^sniffle^... I'm so so so sorry! I didn't mean it like that... gawd! I shouldn't have called you at all... ^sniffle^"*  
  
"^sigh^ Yuffie, I'm glad you called me. I needed the wake-up call. A lot of the things you said were accurate. As much as it hurt me to hear you saying those things, it was good for me. It helps to hear someone you revere and respect tell you that you're completely messed up."  
  
*"You respect me? But you never said anything!"*  
  
"Like I said before, I'm not too social. But, you know that."  
  
*"Yes."*  
  
"..."  
  
*"You there?"*  
  
"Yeah. I was just thinking. What did I do to make you hate me so much?"  
  
*"It wasn't one specific thing, or, more precisely, not only one thing that triggered it. For so many years now, it has been like this. You've always been cold and unyielding, proper and upright. Whenever I want to change things around or do something... I don't know... spontaneous and fun, you go all iron will on me and say no so many times that I can hear the word in my head long after you're gone! And whenever I act just a bit childish, which, by the way, I am entitled to since my childhood was taken away from me by the Heartless, you reprimand me like it was the worst possible sin or something! I'm not as bad as you act like I am! And I DO have feelings!"*  
  
"Sorry."  
  
*"Yeah, well you better be! ...^sigh^... okay, I don't want to sound so harsh. It's just, I'm really angry with you, Squall! You really pushed me over the edge."*  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
*"You remember the other night when we all went out to dinner, Aerith, Cloud, you, and me? You made a comment on my dress."*  
  
"I said that it was impractical and ridiculous, didn't I?"  
  
*"Yes. And you had to bark at me so that the whole damn restaurant knew about it too! All of Traverse probably heard it! I was mortified, and you acted like it was nothing. We had a little bit of a... er... tiff. That was just the icing on the cake though. For years, you've done nothing but criticize, mock, and push me away. I hate you for that!"*  
  
"Sorry."  
  
*"^sigh^ I'm being really harsh, aren't I?"*  
  
"No, I deserve it. I shouldn't have said those things. You deserve to be treated much better than I have treated you."  
  
*"So now you have a question for me, don't you?"*  
  
"Yes."  
  
*"Shoot."*  
  
"If you hated me like that, and I was so terrible... why did you love me?"  
  
*"..."*  
  
"..."  
  
*"It's really complicated."*  
  
"I have all day to listen, Yuffie."  
  
*"All right... ^sigh^. It started on that day in Traverse Town that we met King Mickey. You remember?"*  
  
"Yeah."  
  
*"I fell in love with your no-nonsense matter, your seriousness. It's exactly what I needed. You are a great leader, Squall, and I admired that too. There are so many wonderful qualities! I can't even name them all. I just looked at you one day and realized that I wanted to spend an eternity with you to get to know you. You were handsome to boot. How could I ignore that? I couldn't, that's how. And so, I was in love, hard. And it killed me everyday to see how much you hated me."*  
  
"... Yuf-"  
  
*"I'm not done yet. There's more... ^clears throat^... that I need to tell you. You're probably wondering right now how I could ever see good things in you, and for a while there, I hardly believed my heart. But as I grew older, I learned how to listen to it. You're everything that I need in a man, everything and more. No matter how much I hate you, this love could never be erased. I'm changed forever."*  
  
"I'm sorry you have to love me so much."  
  
*"You still don't understand!! Get it through your thick skull that I just love you! I don't NEED a reason to love you!"*  
  
"Oh..."  
  
*"Yeah. That's all I want to say on THAT subject ^chuckle^. Funny how relieved I am since I got that off my chest. I should have told you a long time ago."*  
  
"I wasn't expecting that, you know. I'm not prepared for anyone to love me. I'm not ready to be in love."  
  
*"We seldom are, Squallikins."*  
  
"^growl^"  
  
*"Okay, okay, sorry for saying it, Squall. But I still meant that. No one is ever ready to be in love when the arrow strikes them. I know I wasn't."*  
  
"I understand that. And I'm sorry. I just wish that, somehow, I had realized something was up earlier. I feel like such a jerk now. But I guess I deserve a guilty conscience, don't I? ^sigh^... Well, thanks for calling me the other day."  
  
*"No problem. And Squall?"*  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
*"Thank you for calling back. I wasn't expecting it. And thanks for listening. I'm sorry for the message!*"  
  
"Don't be. You had a right to be angry. I'll talk to you later then?"  
  
*"Sure. Oh, and, Squall?"*  
  
"Yes, Yuffie?"  
  
*"Think about what I said."*  
  
^CLICK OF PHONE HANGING UP^  
  
"Wait! Yuffie! ^sigh^... I still needed to tell you something."  
  
^NUMBERS DIALING^  
  
^PHONE RINGING AT YUFFIE'S^  
  
*"Hello? Yuffie Kisaragi speaking."*  
  
"Yuffie, I wasn't finished."  
  
*"I though you were. Sorry. What do you want to say? I'm all ears."*  
  
"You're not going to like it."  
  
*"Are you going to tell me or not?! Come on! I have to go and practice at the dojo in an hour!"*  
  
"Yuffie, I think I love you too."  
  
*"Holy shit! What did you say?"*  
  
"I said that I think I love you."  
  
*"..."*  
  
"Did you hear me?"  
  
*"Phones are so impersonal, Squall. What's say you and I go somewhere and speak, person to person?"*  
  
"We can go to the roof of the Gizmo Shop. That's always been your favorite spot. How about after your done at the dojo?"  
  
*"Meet you there in two hours, Squall. Bye."*  
  
"Wait."  
  
*"Yeah?"*  
  
"I meant what I said."  
  
*"I know you did."*  
  
"Bye."  
  
*"See you."*  
  
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~  
  
A/N: Well? That was just sugary sweet, if I do say so myself. I hope my method of writing the dialogue wasn't too confusing. At first, it was confusing to write, I had to glance up at the key a couple of times, but finally I got it. ^_^;; Hopefully, you're all happy that Squallikins called her back. I know I was when my muse gave me the inspiration. I'd like to thank all the reviewers for "Broken Hearts" who inspired me to write this follow-up. You know who you are (okay, I admit it, I don't know who you are. Only a few names stick out, so... sorry! Just check in that little spot in your sign-in spot that says Review History ^_^)  
  
Another thing I'd like everyone to pass around: continue spreading the whole "KH Movie" thing around, I really do want to see who everyone thinks would be a good Squall, Yuffie, Cloud, Aerith, etc. (To Shykosuka: yeah, gackt really does look like Squall!) And also, I want to make a list like a bunch of people do on websites, the "You Know Your Obsessed With Squffies When" list. So, please, write in your suggestions and hopefully I can put them in an Author's Note on one of my future one-shots. Thanks!  
  
As always, please READ and REVIEW! 


	4. Magic

A/N: Hey everyone! Wow! I'm surprised at how much you liked "Patching Holes." I guess the phone conversation thing was a good turn for me. Perhaps I ought to do more of that sometime... ^_^  
  
Thank you so much for the reviews! I appreciate each and every one of them! Here, for all of my reviewers, you get a Klondike bar! What would you do for a Klondike bar?  
  
Note to Deplora: WOW! Thank you sooooo much! But I don't know when I'll have time for "The Reason," truthfully. I'm busy with all of my stories. But, since you gave me rights to writing it, I will. And it'll be the best songfic I've ever written... hopefully ^_^;;. Also, all of those "You Know You're Obsessed With Squffie When" that you listed... well... I fit them too, don't worry. You're not the only one! ^_^  
  
Note to Vulpes Lapis: Yeah, I know that lists aren't allowed. That's why I'm going to include the list in an author's note. It's not the main subject of the entry, so it shouldn't be considered illegal by ff.net's standards. Thanks for the concern, though! And I'm glad you like my stories!  
  
Summary: Hmm... I don't think I'll give you a summary. It might take away from the effect. Don't worry, though. It's not a hard story to follow.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I frowned in concentration at the big book in front of me. There were numerous spells and summons listed in the small black print of the ancient text. For some reason, spells fascinated me. Don't ask why, I don't even know. But it's as if I was inexorably pulled in that direction since I've been able to fight. And I'm not even good with spells; Aerith is! The old tomes still called to me.  
  
I suppose magic just seems to flow in my blood. Ever since I was a kid, I've been subject to many, almost magical, changes. Whether for good or ill, things so out of the ordinary as to be unbelievable have occurred in my life. You don't believe me? Just look at the whole situation with the Heartless. Who can say that that was expected? Who can say that they'd ever dreamed that something so... dark could exist? And then there's the whole magic of the man who was standing on the balcony, his russet hair blowing in the breeze.  
  
At that moment, I wanted to kill him for breaking my focus. Okay, so not kill him literally. Maybe just strangle him and make him blue. No, no Yuffie... just think about something else. Don't you dare think about Squall Leonhart! Too late, a part of me chimed. I sighed and shook my head, willing those inner voices to just shut up and leave me alone for a moment. Leave me alone so that I could stare longingly at Squall.  
  
Go over to him, Yuffie! Talk to him! That assertive voice called from the part of me that was all ninja. Oh, puh-leeze! Yuffie's way too timid to do anything about that! You're kidding yourself! That was the realistic voice, about the most annoying voice in the universe. Wait it out, kiddo. Make him come to you. And that was the part of me that just screamed for recognition. Right then, I agreed with that voice more than any of the others that were vying for my attention.  
  
"Yuffie? Is there something wrong?" A cool, reserved monotone asked me from the balcony. I jumped out of my seat, surprised and annoyed that I had been caught staring. This is all your fault, I hissed at my voices. They tactfully chose to remain silent.  
  
"N-n-no, nothing at all, Squall. J-just reading a book," I stammered. He nodded and turned away. I thought that that might be the end of the conversation, so I placed a bookmark in my page and stood to exit the library. I couldn't think if he was there!  
  
"Another Materia book?" He asked, his back still towards me.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah. I think it's so interesting how people used to have to use Materia to do magic. I wish we could find some Materia now. Then I'd be unstoppable!" I decided to avoid saying anything about him not catching the "Squall" that I had said earlier. He probably wasn't even listening to my anyway.  
  
A snort came from the balcony and I realized that he was... laughing. His shoulders shook, but he still remained silent and turned away from me. I bunched my eyebrows together, wondering what was so funny about the whole thing. In mere moments, Squall was back to his normal apathetic self, back to the shell.  
  
"Well, then, I guess you'll just have to perfect the magic that you can do. I doubt Materia would help you," he said the "you" as if it were an accusation. A tear formed in my eye but I hastily wiped it away. Get back at him, Yuffie, the war mongering voice told her. She growled inwardly at it, and picked the book up from the table.  
  
"All the same, Squ-er-Leon, I like to study it. Makes me think that Materia could actually work for me," I said. A pitiful excuse for a laugh faked its way out of my throat and I ran out of the room, my tome in my hands. Ohhh! How annoying that Squall Leonhart could be! Why, why, why do I have to like him? WHY???  
  
I jumped on to the lift stop and rode it to the level with all of our rooms. Quickly, I scurried down the hallway to my own room. Opening the old, heavy, wooden doors, I cringed at the loud squeak they made. Despite the fact that I acted annoying and obnoxious out in public, all these little noises and irritations really irked me. Especially when I wanted to think. That was partially why I wanted to get rid of those little devils that I called "voices."  
  
I slammed the door behind me, and in one fluid movement, managed to land on the couch. I sprawled out, trying to get as comfortable as possible, and opened the text to where I had left off. Oh yes, there with Shiva and Ifrit. And a little Bahamut. I wished that I could use those summons, but, alas, they were locked away in Materia that would never be found in the hollow mountains of my world.  
  
Something flitted across my mind that was as elusive as a butterfly. I tried to catch it, and just barely got it before it fluttered back out of my head again. Once I looked at it, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Yeah, sure... when pigs could fly! Okay, so that expression isn't very valid, especially when there could very well have been a flying pig Heartless. And that would mean that the thing would be very possible, maybe even true. So, now the whole saying was disproved. Sighing, I made the calculating voice shut up and turned my attention back to the book.  
  
But that thought drew all of my attention and I couldn't let it just go on its way again. Maybe it was true, that there really were summons and Materia and that they weren't so hard to find after all. It could be that the right person just needed to come along and find them. And in that case, could I be just that person to unlock their secrets? Why not?  
  
Something pulled back these racing thoughts and conked them over the head. Despite the pull towards magic and Materia that I had, there was still a little matter of one Squall Leonhart to attend to. It wasn't as if I wanted to tell him I loved him, but if I ever wanted to go on any type of adventure, I'd need to get that off of my chest. So, I guess I wouldn't be going anywhere.  
  
Sighing, I looked down at the book and half-heartedly read about the difference in color the different Materia stones had. Goody. Why would I ever need to know the difference in their color if I was never going to find them? The point was, I wouldn't.  
  
"Great! Now I pretty much have to go and tell him, don't I?" I asked the silence of the room. Predictably, it didn't answer.  
  
~*~  
  
I shuffled towards the library, hesitant about going back there before Squall was safely as far away as possible. I needed to grab all of the Materia books and stash them away in my pack before I could even think about going off. See, my plan was to be all ready to go and then tell him and run. A "hit-and-run" if you will.  
  
Lucky for me, he was nowhere in sight and I grabbed the books from the shelves. I was ready. I had packed a bunch of stale bread that I had found in the back of the cupboard and some moldy cheese as well as beef jerky and a large canteen. No one could say that I wasn't prepared for hunger and thirst. Though, I didn't exactly have all the medical supplies I might need, but... oh well. I was the Great Ninja Yuffie and I wouldn't get hurt. Or, hopefully not... I sent a silent prayer up to the gods.  
  
Feeling a bit naïve, I decided to go to the roof again and look out over the whole of Hollow Bastion one last time before my journey. The lift stop took my up to the spot I wanted to go to, and I completed the trek by climbing up the walls to the roof. Heaving myself up, I caught my breath before looking out.  
  
"Wow. Sure am going to miss this view. I can almost see the whole world from here. Too bad-"  
  
Another voice interrupted me from what I had thought was a personal reflection. "Too bad what? Where are you going?" There it was again, that familiar, beautiful monotone of the man I loved. I was hesitant about answering him, however.  
  
"I'm going... away." He wasn't satisfied with that though. I could tell by his normally emotionless eyes. There was something there, something I couldn't name. "Okay! I guess I'll let the cat out of the bag! I'm going off to search for Materia. It's one of those things... I can't really explain it. But the Materia calls to me. All right, I admit, that sounds really weird, but it's the truth! I can't help but feel pulled towards the Materia and the mountains and... adventure."  
  
"So, when are you going?" He asked, looking away.  
  
"In just a few minutes. I wanted to be here for a moment, though, before I left." He might have said something like "oh," but I didn't hear him. The voices inside of me reached a clamoring chorus, all saying exactly the same thing. TELL HIM!  
  
"Umm... Squall... before I go, I need to tell you something. It's pretty important, actually. I don't know if you'll like it or not, probably not. But, I guess I can't judge you, now can I? Never have been able to..." I drew in a deep breath. "Listen, Squall, if I never get a chance to tell you, you know, if I die or something, and the secret stays in me forever it'll eat away at my soul and I just can't leave anything to be forgotten over time as I pass and I can't leave without telling you so... Iloveyou!"  
  
And then I kissed him.  
  
What should have been a long kiss passed in a second before my eyes, and I was pulling away from him. Realizing what I had done, my eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. Using every bit of agility that I could, I jumped off of the roof (don't try it at home!) and slid to the lift stop before I even saw Squall round the corner behind me. Heaving a sigh of relief, I got onto the platform and rode it down to the main level.  
  
"Goodbye, Bastion!" I called to it, as if it could hear me. And I swear I could hear it whisper a goodbye back to me. But maybe it was just my rampant imagination. Whatever the case, I was ready to leave. Setting my pack on my shoulders, I set out for the door and my journey.  
  
I took the big, golden knobs of the front doors and pushed them open, my eyes closed against the sudden wind that rushed into the room. When I opened them again, someone was standing in front of me. No, not just anyone. It was Squall.  
  
"Did you honestly think that I would just let you go off without hearing what I had to say?"  
  
I nodded, looking down at my feet. Oh great, here it comes. Here's the comment that's going to rip my heart out, tear it to shreds, and stomp it to a bloody mass on the floor-  
  
Before I could finish my train of thought, warm lips pressed themselves to mine and my initial reaction was to jump away. But I quelled that response and instead kissed him back. And this one lasted longer, much longer. Blessedly, almost an eternity.  
  
"I love you too, Yuffie."  
  
I couldn't believe my ears. Squall Leonhart had just told me that he loved me. Yeah. And I'm King Mickey. Still, it almost sounded real...  
  
"Really?"  
  
"If I kiss you again, would you believe me?"  
  
"Definitely."  
  
See? I told you. Magic just seems to flow in my veins. Because, no matter where I go, extraordinary things happen to me. If that's not a good omen, I don't know what is.  
  
I'm off! 


End file.
